Shaping machine for garments



Dec. 24, 1940. J. A. SELF SHAPING MACHINE FOR GARMENTS 3 Sheets-Shes t Filed Jan. 30, 1940 Imvcutori 1| 7 I u l HI Jesse A SELF Dec. 24, 1940. A SELF 2,226,143

SHAPING MACHINE FOR GARMENTS Filed Jan. 30, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 a, O i i g I Q I 48 I a 1 I O Jesse A. .552;-

Ihmcntor Cttonwg Dec. 24, 1940. .1. A. SELF 2,226,143

SHAPING MACHINE FOR GARMENTS Filed Jan. 30, 1940 s Sheets-Sheet s 3nventor: Jesse A. 5ELF Gttorneg Patented Dec. 24, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHAPING MIACHINE FOR GARMENTS Jesse A. Self, High Point, N. assignor of sixty per cent to D. S. Sherrod, High Point, N. C.

Application January 30, 1943, Serial No. 316,383

4 Ql'aims. (Cl. 223--2) This i ven e a es to a garment Shaping extend beyond the downstanding leg of lug angle machine for collars, lap'els, cufis and the like and i5 and have resilient washers I8 mounted theremore especially an apparatus of this type which around, said washers being normally confined on is wholly or partially operated by pneumatic the rods by any suitable means such as a plate m ns, it! which spans the distance between, and is se- It is an object of this invention to provide a cured to, the extreme upper ends of rods IT. A garment shaping machine comprising a lower die tension spring 20 has one end thereof secured and an upper die, between which a portion of to the plate 19 and its other end secured to lug garment upon a form is adapted to be inserted, angle [6 so as to provide means for normally together with a compressed air unit for applying pulling the rods l1 downwardly or to the position and relieving the relative pressure between the shown in Figure 1. dies and inserted garment. The compressed air On the lower end of rods I1, a bracket 25 is seunit has foot operated valves which serve to adcured which in turn, has a base plate 26 mounted mit or exhaust air from a suitable die actuating on its upper side. The base plate is adapted to cylinder. have suitable form plates 2'! secured to its upper 1:

One of the most unusual features of this maface by any suitable means such as bolts or rivets chine is that enough of the pressure can be re 28. It will be seen by referring to Figure 2 that lieved from one of the dies to release the form the form plates 21 are identical and are shaped and allow it to be withdrawn, but at the same so as to fit between the folds of a collar or lapel time, suflicient pressure is retained between the such as designated by the reference 30. Figure 3 2c dies to hold the garment in position. After re shows a portion of collar 30 and it is here seen moval of the form the pressure is applied again that three layers of fabric, namely 3|, 32, and 33 to set the garment more permanently than could are secured together by means of stitches or seams possibly be the case with the pressure applied 34. The collar is then inserted upon form plate with the garment on the form. 21 in the manner shown in Figure 2 with the Some of the objects of the invention having form disposed between the layers. been stated, other objects will appear as the After placing the collar points on the forms, it description proceeds, when taken in connection is necessary to move the assembly upwardly to with the accompanying drawings, in which the position shown in Figure 4, between a pair Figure 1 is a side elevation of a garment shapof dies where heat and pressure can be applied. ing machine embodying an improved pneumatic The means for moving the collar points and forms control unit; between the dies comprises a cord 31, pulley 38, Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view taken along treadle 39, foot rest 40 and fioor bracket 4!. In the line 2-2 in Figure 1; Figure 1 it is seen that one end of the cord is se- 35 Figure 3 is an isometric view of a portion of a cured to bracket 25 as at point 42, and from this a.) shirt collar which is of a suitable construction point the cord passes upwardly and over pulley to be shaped by the present invention; 38, and thence downwardly to the free end of Figure 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view treadle 39. This treadle is pivoted as at M to taken along line 44 in Figure 2, but showing the floor bracket 4|. Upon application of pressure form and fabric thereon disposed between the to this treadle the form plates 21 and the asso- 40 dies; ciated rods H are caused to move upwardly to Figure 5 is a sectional view taken along line the right in Figure 1 against the tension of spring 55 in Figure 1 showing the foot operated 20 to the position shown in Figure 4. When in pneumatic control mechanism; this position, the points of collar 30 and form 5 Figure 6 is a schematic wiring diagram of the plates 21 are disposed immediately above inheating unit employed in the invention. clined plate l4 and below die plates 45, the plate Referring more particularly to the drawings, l4 serving as a stationary die and the plates 55 the numeral Ii] denotes a table having a frameserving as movable dies. work ll mounted thereon, said framework hav- In order to limit the upward movement of the ing a horizontally disposed plate l2 and an inform plates 21 and also to vary the point to which 50 clined plate l4 mounted on the upper portion these plates may move, a bolt 25a is threadably thereof. Plate M has lug angles I5 and I6 sesecured in bracket 25. The head of this bolt is cured to its lower face, and slidably mounted in adapted to contact the downstanding leg of lug these angles are the intermediate portions of inangle I6 when the form plates are in uppermost clined rods [1. The upper ends of these rods position (see Figure 4).

The lower die plate [4 has a plate 48 secured to the upper surface thereof, which plate 46 resembles an inverted W; thereby providing a pair of inverted V-shaped cavities into which the form plates 21 and collar points are inserted. Also the movable die plates are adapted to have vertical movement in these cavities when pressure is applied and relieved to and from the collar points. Die plates 45 are secured to brackets 50 which in turn, are loosely mounted on a shaft 5|. The shaft 5! is fixed between the prongs of a Y-shaped yoke 52 and the intermediate portion of this yoke is rotatably mounted on a second shaft 53 which is supported by brackets 54 on lower die plate M. A rigid hook member 41 is provided for each of the top die plates 45, each of said hook members having slots 41a therein which are penetrated by screws 48 and these screws are threadably secured in yoke 52. The hooked end 49 of each of the hooked members 41 is positioned in close proximity to the intermediate portion of a bracket 56 which bracket supports upper die plate 45. The position of the hooked ends relative to the brackets can be varied by loosening the screws 48 so as to permit the slots 41 to be moved relative to the screws. When the die plates 45 are in raised position as shown in Figures 1 and 4, there is practically no stress between the ends 49 and the brackets 56; however when the yoke 52 is rotated in a counter-clockwise manner in Figure 4 to cause the die plates to be moved downwardly to compress the garment therebelow, the ends 49 of the rigid hook members 4! will engage these brackets and thereby force the upper die plates 45 backwardly toward the apices of the inverted V-shaped cavities formed in plate 46.

A bolt is threadably secured in the lower die plate l4 directly beneath yoke 52. This bolt is adjustable as to height and serves to limit the clockwise movement of the yoke 52 about its supporting shaft 53 (Figures 1 and 4) and thereby limits the distance that the movable die plates 45 can be withdrawn from the stationary die Plate M. It is evident from the drawings that when the yoke 52 is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction in Figure 4 that the collar points and the forms 21 will be subjected to pressure between the upper and lower dies and upon clockwise rotation of this yoke the pressure between these parts will be relieved.

The uppermost free end of yoke 52 has pivoted thereto as at 51 the upper end of a piston rod 58, said rod extending downwardly into a cylinder 59 and having a piston 68 secured on the lower end thereof. The cylinder 59 is pivoted as at 6| to the framework II, and this cylinder also has a compression spring 82 on the interior thereof and confined on rod 58 between the upper end of the cylinder and the piston. This spring normally tends to rotate yoke 52 in a clockwise manner (Figures 1 and 4) about shaft 54 to cause the up-' per and lower die plates to become separated.

The cylinder 59 has an air compartment therein immediately below piston 68, said compartment having one end of a conduit 66 communicating therewith, the other end of which communicates with a vertically disposed bore 6'! in valve unit 88 (Figures 1 and 5). The bore 6'! communicates with a restricted bore 10 thereabove and the lower end of this restricted bore is normally closed by a ball H which has vertical movement in the bore 61. A compression spring I2 is also disposed in bore 61, the purpose of which being to normally hold ball H over the lower end of bore 18. When air flows from bore 61 to bore 10, it is allowed to exhaust through a port 13.

Another bore 15 leads from bore 61 to a vertically disposed restricted bore 11, said bore 11 being adapted to communicate with an enlarged bore 16 therebelow, in which a ball 18 is disposed. This ball is pressed over the bore 11 by means of a compression spring 19. The bore 16 is connected to a source of compressed air 80 by any suitable means such as conduit 8| (Figure 1) It will be noted by referring to Figures 1 and 5 that the lower end of a vertically disposed pin 82 is disposed in bore 11 and is normally resting on top of ball 18. The intermediate portion of this pin is slidably mounted in the valve unit block and its upper end is adapted to support a treadle 84, which treadle is pivoted as at 85 to the valve unit block. When it is desired to allow compressed air to flow from tank 88 into compartment 65 of cylinder 59, it is only necessary to apply pressure to the free end of treadle 84, which in turn, will move pin 82 downwardly to unseat ball 18 and allow the air to flow through the valve unit 88 into the cylinder 59.

The valve unit 68 also has a treadle Bl pivoted thereto as at 85. The free end of this treadle is normally supported by a pin 88, the lower end of which is disposed in bore 10 and upon ball H. When it is desired to exhaust the air from compartment 65, it is necessary to apply pressure to treadle 81 which pressure will unseat ball H and allow the air within compartment 65 to flow through valve unit 68 and out through exhaust port 13.

In order to provide the necessary heat for the die plates [4 and 45, a heating unit 89 is provided directly below plate l4. This unit has electric Wires 98 and 9| leading thereto said wire 98 having a. switch 92 therein (Figures 1 and 6). A parallel circuit 93 connects wires 98 and 9|, said circuit having an indicating light 94 therein, which serves to indicate, when lit, that current is being admitted to the heating unit 89.

When the machine is in operation, a collar point is placed on each of the plate forms 21 in the manner shown in Figure 2. Then pressure is applied to treadle 39 to cause the forms on collar points to move between dies 14 and 45 as shown in Figure 4. At this time the treadle 84 of valve unit 68 is compressed to allow air to flow into compartment 85 of cylinder 59 and this air will rotate yoke 52 in a counter-clockwise manner (Figures 1 and 4) to cause the upper die plates 45 to apply pressure to both the form plates and the collar points to perform an initial shaping operation on the collar points. Upon applying this initial pressure, the heated dies will slightly cohere to the surface of the dampened collar points; consequently, it will then be possible to partially relieve the pressure between the die plates sufiiciently to withdraw the form plates 21, but at the same time will allow the collar points to remain intact with the die plates. This partial release of pressure is a delicate operation, because if too much pressure is released, the collar points will also be withdrawn along with the form plates. For this reason compressed air is highly desirable, because the treadle 81 can be actuated so as to allow the exact quantity of air to be released in order that a corresponding reduction in pressure between the die plates can be effected and the reduced pressure held at that point. If manually operated release means is used instead of pneumatic means as disclosed, the operation is not satisfac- (ill tory on account of the lack of control of the pressure between the die plates.

After the forms 21 have been withdrawn, the operator again applies pressure on treadle 84 to cause the maximum pressure to be exerted by the dies upon the collar points therebetween. When the points have been properly shaped, the pressure is then released and the parts are returned to normal position for the next operation.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A garment shaping machine comprising a stationary die and a relatively movable die, a movable form, foot operated means for inserting the form with a garment thereon between said dies, a lever pivoted intermediat its ends and having said movable die secured on one end thereof, a piston secured to the other end of said lever, a cylinder for slidably enclosing said piston, other foot operated means adjacent the first foot operated means for introducing air into said cylinder whereby said lever will be actuated to cause the movable die to move toward this stationary die, and a pair of rigid hooked members carried. by said lever for normally forcing the upper die plate rearwardly of said machine and against the sidewalls of the lower die upon introduction of air into said cylinder.

'2. A garment shaping machine comprising a pair of dies relatively movable toward and away from each other, said upper die being supported by a lever, a movable form, a foot lever for moving the form with a garment thereon between said dies, pneumatic means for varying the amount of pressure between said dies when the garment and form are disposed therebetween, a pair of other foot operated levers adjacent the first foot lever for controlling the pneumatic means, a pair of rigid hooked members carried by said lever for normally forcing the upper die plate rearwardly of said machine and against the sidewalls of the lower die upon introduction of air into said cylinder.

3. A garment shaping machine, comprising in combination, a lower die having a recess therein having a point for shaping a point of a garment, an upper die cooperating with said lower die and mounted in said recess, a shaft mounted adjacent said lower die and located substantially above the point of said recess, a yoke pivotally mounted on said shaft, pivotal connections between said upper die and said yoke located on the same side of said shaft as said upper die and a rigid stop carried by said yoke, said stop being adapted to engage the upper die upon downward movement of the same to force said upper die toward the point of said recess.

4. A garment-shaping machine comprising, in combination, a lower die having a pointed recess therein suitable for receiving a pointed portion of a garment, a pivot mounted on said lower die and extending transversely of the point of said recess, a lever mounted on said pivot and having an end overlying said recess, an upper die of suit able shape to enter said recess and compress the point of a garment in said recess, said upper die being pivotally mounted on said overlying end of said lever and being unguided except by the walls of said recess and by said pivot between said upper die and its supporting lever, a stop carried by said lever, said stop being adapted to engage the upper die upon downward movement of the same to force said upper die toward the point of said recess, a form for carrying the garment and being movable to a position between the upper and lower dies, a foot lever for moving the form, pneumatic means for lowering and raising the upper die, and a pair of pedals engageable by the foot which operates the pedal for moving the form, for controlling the movements of the upper die.

JESSE A. SELF. 

